


Stutters and Confusion

by rl2



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Identity Reveal, Low-key a crack fic, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Reveal, Tumblr Prompt, based off a tumblr prompt, highkey a crack fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23481865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rl2/pseuds/rl2
Summary: Adrien finds out Marinette likes him. How could he have missed it, especially with the stuttering? It really should have been obvious. Now he has to figure out how to let her down gently.Except, whenever he brings up Marinette around Ladybug, she starts stuttering too.Or, basically, Adrien thinks his Lady is in love with Marinette.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 38
Kudos: 441





	1. Adrien Cracks the Code

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I was scrolling on tumblr and I found this awesome prompt by @bugaboo-n-bananoir.
> 
> The link to it is https://bugaboo-n-bananoir.tumblr.com/post/613137616776445952/alright-get-this-chat-noir-figures-out if you wanna check it out! Her blog is SOOO good.
> 
> I'm still really new to writing fanfic, I hope this is good so far!

Adrien sat on his couch in front of the TV. For once, his Saturday was completely free, with his Chinese tutor sick and fencing practice cancelled. The Spring collection had finished shooting on Wednesday, and his father hadn’t scheduled another shoot for him quite yet. He already called Nino, Marinette, and Alya, and the four of them were getting ice cream at Andre’s in an hour. In the meantime, Adrien just needed a way to kill time.

“Blegh! Why do you watch this garbage?” Plagg floated up next to him as Adrien flipped through some channels.

“I haven’t even picked a show yet, Plagg.” Adrien rolled his eyes at his kwami, landing on a random tv show. He didn’t particularly care what it was, just that it would be easy to follow for half an hour.

Adrien watched as the main character- a girl around his age, it seemed- started babbling insensibly. Thoroughly confused, Adrien tried to make sense of what was happening. Maybe Plagg was right, this show really was bad.

The scene continued to show the same character complaining to her best friend about not being able to talk to her crush. Oh, that was it! The girl was nervous. That made sense, when he wasn’t Chat Noir he often got tongue-tied around Ladybug. Speaking to your crush is hard, especially when you feel pressure!

The show continued for another 40 minutes, Adrien only mildly interested, before Plagg popped his head up on Adrien’s shoulder.

“Hey, shouldn’t we be leaving now? You’re going to be late. Then again, Pigtails probably will be too.” He snickered to himself as he floated into Adrien’s shirt pocket.

“What? Oh! You’re right,” Adrien jumped up, shutting off the television and leaving the mansion.

On the car ride there, Adrien scrolled aimlessly on his phone. The groupchat with Alya, Nino, and Marinette was already being spammed with messages as they all headed to meet up. Mostly, it consisted of Alya raving about the last akuma attack while Nino detailed how she almost gave him a heart attack.

Adrien chuckled to himself as the car pulled up to Marinette’s bakery.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ladybug can beat ANYONE at thumb wrestling, Nino. I don’t care if it technically doesn’t involve skill.” Alya was saying a million words at once, ignoring the groans released from her three friends.

“Alya, babe. You know I love you, but you have to admit that the question is kinda stupid. Why would Chat Noir and Ladybug even want to thumb wrestle each other?” NIno sighed, putting an arm around Alya’s waist.

Adrien laughed, enjoying the light conversation with his friends. “They’re teenagers too, all teenagers do dumb stuff.” 

“All teenagers don’t have superpowers, dude.” Nino pointed out. “They’re probably too busy being…” Nino started making fighting actions with his hands, sound effects of punches included.

“Marinette, thoughts?” Adrien turned to the small girl, a bright smile on his face. He knew she had a tendency to be quiet and nervous, but he still wanted her to have fun! 

“I- uh, opinion don’t have an I!” She groaned as she looked at the floor, seeming frustrated with herself. It was okay, Adrien was plenty understanding! He enjoyed being her friend all the same. “I mean I don’t have an opinion, really.” Marinette gave a shy smile.

“Fine, be that way.” Alya pushed her glasses farther up her nose, spotting Andre’s cart on the next street. “Ha! I saw him first. Nino, that means you’re paying.” She gave him finger guns and raced up to the cart.

“Wait- that’s not fair! I saw him at the same time!” Nino ran after her, leaving Adrien and Marinette alone.

They walked together in uncomfortable silence, neither sure of what to say. What was there to say? 

“So uh, do you b-believe in Andre’s ice cream?” Marinette spoke up suddenly.

Adrien blinked in surprise, taken aback by the question. He never really thought about it too hard to be honest. “I don’t think ice cream is the only reason two people get together, but the ice cream is really good. Most people associate the date with the ice cream, and since the ice cream is great, then the date itself must have been great.” He smiled at her, hoping she was satisfied with his answer.

“I didn’t really m-mean scientifically. More spiritually, I guess? Like, are his flavors accurate.” Marinette said. 

“Oh! I think mine were pretty accurate, and Alya’s and Nino’s looks…” they both looked over to where Alya and Nino were sharing an orange and matcha ice cream. It didn’t look particularly appetizing to Adrien, but he guessed it worked for them. “Well, let’s just say they seem happy.”  
Marinette nodded, a small blush starting to bloom on her cheeks. Adrien studied her face for a second, noticing the light freckles adorning her cheeks and nose. She really was adorable!

As they reached the cart, Andre looked at both of them and beamed. “Welcome! It’s always nice to see another happy couple, I think I know just the flavors for you two-”

“Oh, uh we aren’t dating...” Marinette said quietly, giving him an apologetic smile.

“No no, I insist. I can feel the emotions you hold for one another!” Andre declared, giving a look of confusion.

As they continued to deflect, Adrien remembered the time Andre became Glaciator. He didn’t know what set him off, but he did not want to deal with that akuma again. 

“Actually, we are relatively new, and trying to keep it quiet.” Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand and squeezed it, trying to play the role of a happy couple. Maybe he was more used to this than he thought.

Marinette turned bright pink, her mind shutting down as she stared at Adrien in surprise. Adrien realized he hadn’t exactly asked for permission to pretend to be her boyfriend, and as Andre was reaching down to scoop ice cream, Adrien mouthed ‘sorry’ to the girl.

Marinette didn’t seem to notice.

“Here we go! Blueberry for her eyes, and mint green for his. I hope you two enjoy it!” Andre waved them off with two spoons and a triumphant smile. 

Both of them stared down at the ice cream cone in Adrien’s hand. There was the blueberry for Ladybug’s eyes, just like last time. Adrien smiled to himself as he remembered the first time he had tried the ice cream a few months before. 

His eyes landed on the green sitting on top. That part must have been Marinette’s! Wait, but Luka had blue eyes. Or maybe he had redyed his hair a green shade? 

Adrien shook his head at the thoughts, realizing Andre had only given them the flavors to match each other’s eyes. He never noticed that Marinete had the same color eyes as Ladybug, but it was a really nice shade. He could probably stare into them for hours, if either of them let him.

Adrien led Marinette over to a bench nearby, releasing her hand. “I’m sorry about that, I just didn’t want to upset him. You know how it goes.”

“Oh,” a look of disappointment flashed across Marinette’s face, “yeah I- I totally get it. It wasn’t like holding your hand was bad, in fact it really was wonderful- I mean the ice cream! The ice cream is wonderful! Not to say you’re not wonderful too, though. Because you are. Haha, I’m gonna try some now.” 

Marinette took a spoonful of the blueberry ice cream and shoved it into her mouth, giving Adrien a thumbs up as he looked on in bewilderment. 

Adrien took a spoonful of the blueberry too, closing his eyes. It really was good ice cream, romantic connections or not. He still didn’t get why Marinette was so nervous, she said that holding his hand wasn’t bad! Truthfully, he liked holding her hand too. So what was making her uncomfortable?

Alya and Nino came back, forcing the two to squeeze together to make enough room on the bench. 

“I’m so happy we were able to hang out today dudes, it’s so nice out.” Nino commented, finishing the last of the orange ice cream.

“You should’ve seen how long I spent shaking Marinette to try getting her up. Girl can SLEEP.” Alya nodded along. “Actually, I had to threaten to take down her po-” She turned to face Adrien as she considered her words carefully. “Uh, I forget what I was going to say.”

Adrien watched as Marinette kicked Alya in what was meant to be secret. Or, so he guessed, he wasn’t good at reading girls. It was like they had their own secret language.

The weird thing was, Nino seemed to understand what was happening perfectly. He was missing something, but what was it? 

Nino’s phone buzzed and he sighed, standing up. “Sorry guys, I have to get home. Mom needs me to watch Chris.” 

Alya stood up with him. “I’ll go too! Our date basically just started, and you guys know how we get on dates. Gross couple-y stuff, you know how it goes! Well, have fun you two and don’t stay out too late!” Alya threw a wink to Marinette before dragging Nino off. Adrien caught the wink, and after replaying almost all of his interactions, he knew what was happening.

Oh. 

Marinette froze, staring down at the ice cream before smiling awkwardly at Adrien. 

He smiled back, averting his gaze quickly. She had a crush on him. The stuttering, the freezing up, asking him about the ice cream- Alya was about to mention the posters in her room!

Wow, ok, she really liked him. He didn’t know what to do. Most of the other girls who had liked him were straightforward about it! Kagami pretty much told him to step up his game, Lila and Chloe were always all over him, and his fans sent mail constantly! This was uncharted territory, and Adrien did NOT feel prepared.

Wait, that also meant that eventually he’d have to turn her down. She really was a great person, he knew that. Marinette was strong and confident when she needed to be, and never backed down from doing what was right. She was super talented, and super cute, too. Her eyes lit up when she spoke about fashion and-

He was getting off track. “Marinette, I hate to cut this short as well, but ah- I forgot! About the, uh, the thing! You know me, I’m always… busy.” He nodded, trying to find a way out. If he could get home, he wouldn’t have to see her until Monday. Then, he’d spend the rest of the weekend preparing to act normal and turn her down if need be.

“It’s ok, I u-understand… I guess?” Marinette smiled gently. “Do want ice cream you the?” She motioned to the cone still in her hand.

“No! Uh, you can finish it. IreallygottagonowBYE!” Adrien rushed off, texting his driver to come pick him up.

Thirty minutes later, a muffed yell could be heard coming from Adrien’s bedroom.


	2. Ladybug's Crush Is Discovered!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien freaks out, and comes up with the ultimate discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I finally took the time to outline this story! I think we're looking at 4 chapters, 5 if I really drag it.
> 
> The middle of this chapter was super frustrating to write, and then the last two scenes were just... great. Oh well, I gotta push through!
> 
> Have fun!

“Isn’t it good if Pigtails is in love with you?” Plagg said, chewing on a piece of cheese.

“Why would it be good?” Adrien said, buried underneath his blanket. 

“You like her too, obviously.” 

Adrien popped up from his bed, grabbing Plagg. “Woah woah woah, when have I ever said I liked Marinette?” 

“Kid, she’s half of what you talk about. Oh my gosh, Plagg! Marinette is just so talented! She’s so cute! Did you see her latest design!” He mocked his chosen, fanning himself and batting his eyelashes. Adrien didn’t even think kwamis HAD eyelashes!

Besides, he didn’t talk about her that often! He talked about all his friends equally. Or so he thought. 

“That’s not-” Adrien felt his face heat up, “-true. I’ll just have to turn her down. Again.” He thought back to the Weredad incident, hiding a wince. She didn’t seem to take that rejection well, at least at first. He really did not want to cause her to be akumatized. If she was anything like her dad, that fight would NOT be easy.

“Who said you had to turn her down? It’s not like she confessed to you.” Plagg pointed out.

“I don’t want to lead her on! Marinette is… just a friend.” Adrien said, taking a beat longer to add on the last phrase than normal. “And I don’t want to hurt my friends.” He shook his head of any conflicting thoughts that told him otherwise.

Adrien got out of the bed, walking to the wall of windows he had in his room. By now, it was already night time, the lights in Paris shining brightly. 

Why did he have to find out? It would have been so much easier to keep being oblivious. Now, he either had to ruin a great friendship or lie to one of his best friends. It wasn’t fair to Marinette, she should have been able to tell him when she was ready. Actually, the more Adrien thought about it, he knew he couldn’t reject her out of the blue. How could he even explain how he figured it out? She would hate him for betraying her trust, and then she would stop being friends with him!

That’s what he gets for having the kwami of destruction.

Adrien sighed as he started getting ready for bed. “You know what, Plagg. You’re right, I can’t just tell her I know. I’ll act normal around her.”  
“Excuse you, I am always right. I take payment in cheese.” The kwami smirked to himself then flew off to his stash of camembert. 

“Everything will be fine by Monday…” Adrien whispered to himself as he closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep.

\-----

Everything was NOT fine.

He was sitting in his normal seat in what should have been a very NORMAL day! Except, he couldn’t sit still. Marinette was sitting right behind him! That never bothered him before, but now he was hyper-aware of how he was acting. Was it weird if he leaned his head on his hand? Was he holding his pencil wrong? Would Marinette notice his shirt was wrinkled?

That last one was a lie, his shirts were never wrinkled.

Still, how was he supposed to act? 

“-rien, can you share the answer to number five?” Miss Bustier looked down at him, clearly aware he was not paying attention.

“I- uh, 63?” He guessed, flipping through his notebook that lacked any notes.

“Nice try, Adrien, but we are learning about Shakespeare. Please pay attention.” With that, she turned back to the board and resumed teaching.

Adrien sunk down in his chair, cursing his existence, when he saw a paper slide onto his desk from the corner of his eye.

Dude, what was that?

Nino was staring at him, confused. Adrien was always paying attention! Adrien shook his head at Nino, then mouthed "at lunch." 

Nino bit his lip before nodding, then pointing at the front of the room.

Miss Bustier was once again looking disapprovingly at Adrien. “Thank you for rejoining the discussion, but I’m afraid I’ll have to see you after class.” 

Adrien nodded, embarrassed from having to be called out twice. 

This was going to be a long day.

\----

Adrien packed his bag, dreading having to head down to the front of the room. This was the first time he actually might get in trouble. If they called his dad, he would probably be disowned until further notice.

He stepped down the aisle, taking heavy steps towards his teacher’s desk.

“Miss Bustier, you wanted to talk to me?” He grimaced.

“Adrien, you’re normally one of my best students. Are you feeling ok?” Miss Bustier asked, concern laced into her words.

Adrien was taken aback. “Wait- what? I thought I was in trouble?”

“Oh no! Frankly, I’m offended you thought I would be that harsh.” She chuckled to herself before continuing. “Is anything on your mind?”

He reached up to rub the back of his neck, not letting his eyes meet hers. “No no, I’m fine! Just a little distracted with… a photo shoot coming up soon.” 

Miss Bustier bit her lip, obviously not believing him. “Are you sure? You’ve never been this distract-”

Before she could finish her sentence, a loud CRASH rang from the hallway. Adrien quickly ran to the door to see what the commotion was, looking around for an akuma. Thankfully, there wasn’t one- yet. Instead, Chloe and Marinette were lying on the floor, Marinette on top of Chloe.

“Somebody get this RAT off me!” Chloe wailed.

“Chloe I’m sorry- I tripped over something, I didn’t mean to knock you down!” Marinette rushed to apologize.

Adrien ran over and helped Marinette get back up, ignoring how his fingers burned where they met her skin. “I don’t think she meant to fall on you, Chlo.” Adrien offered, grimacing. Chloe wasn’t one to brush this kind of thing off.

“Typical Dupain-Cheng, I bet it was on purpose!” Sabrina rushed over to help Chloe up, dusting her off in the process. “I am not dumb, Adrikins. She obviously is jealous of me. I mean, who wouldn’t be.” She glared at Marinette.

“Chloe, it was an accident.” Marinette insisted, starting to get angry as well. 

“Whatever, Dupain-Cheng! Ugh, I am so sick of this stupid school.” With that, Chloe rushed off, slamming into Marinette’s shoulder in the process. 

Marinette fell back onto Adrien, who was still holding her by the shoulders. Their eyes met for a brief second before they parted quickly, each blushing and stuttering out an apology. 

“T-thank you, Adrien. For d-defending me. That was…” she trailed off, meeting his eyes once again. He took note of her eye color again, his heart softening as Adrien stared at her. “It was really nice of you.” She smiled at him.

“Marinette, can I ask you something?” Adrien blurted out, ignoring the tension building in his stomach. 

Her eyes widened a little and her mouth made an “o” shape. “Uh, sure!”

Before he could open his mouth, a booming voice settled over the school.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Where are you?” Adrien could only assume that Chloe had been akumatized. One day he feared she would beat Monsieur Ramier’s record of most akumatizations.

Marinette groaned, running a hand over her face. “I really don’t feel like dealing with whatever THAT is.” 

Adrien stared at her, not sure how she wasn’t scared. Most people freak out when they’re targeted by a villain! Instead, she seemed… inconvenienced, at best.

“Well, I can help with that!” He looked around, trying to get a way out of the situation so he could run off and transform. “Aha!” He found an unlocked janitor’s closet and shoved her in. “Sorry, gotta make sure you’re safe!” He slammed the door shut and ran off to the bathroom.

Plagg flied out of his pocket, leveling Adrien with an unimpressed stare. “You realize you pushed your friend into a closet, right?”

Adrien waved his hand dismissively. “I just needed to make sure she was hidden. Now, Plagg, claws out!”

\-------

“Pound it!” The superheroes said together as they bumped fists. Chloe hadn’t been particularly hard to beat, but it was hard to dissuade her from her negative opinions.  
Chat Noir’s ring beeped it’s first warning, alerting Adrien it was probably time to go. Why did it feel like he was forgetting something?

“Oh shoot, where’s Marinette?” During the fight, Chloe had gotten into the closet he had hidden Marinette in. He nearly had a heart attack, only to discover she had left and wasn’t anywhere to be seen. While he was relieved, he should probably check on her to make sure she was alright.

“Oh- um… Marinette! I can go find her, it’s n-not an issue!” Ladybug smiled awkwardly at Chat as her earrings gave their own beep, now down to three spots. 

That was… weird. Ladybug never stuttered, and she had less time than he did! “Milady, trust me. This cat can go find his purrrrincess with no problem.”

Ladybug frantically waved her hands, looking flustered. What was her issue today? “Chat, really! It’s ok. M-marinette and I are… friends! Yeah.” 

Chat eyed her suspiciously. “I thought nobody knew your identity?” 

“R-right! That’s what I um, meant. Please just let me go f-find Marinette?” She looked at him pleadingly, and he knew he couldn’t resist her. He’d give her anything if she just asked for it.

“Yeah… go ahead, I’ll see you next time.” He said, smiling at her. Once she left, he quickly headed back to school, detransforming in the bathroom in a daze. 

“Finally, now where’s my cheese?” Plagg floated lazily into his shirt pocket.

“Plagg, I know why Ladybug acts so weird when I mention Marinette.” He was oddly calm about the ordeal, so Plagg guessed he didn’t actually figure it out.

“Hm? Ok, why?”

“Ladybug is in love with Marinette!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope you enjoyed reading that! Sometimes I feel I wrote so much and then I look back and it's like... 1500 words.
> 
> Until next time! :)


	3. Operation Make Marinette Fall in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has come to a conclusion, it's just not the right one. With a plan in mind, he sets off to play matchmaker!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god this chapter took me forever. I do like writing Adrien though, the boy's a MESS. Also plagg is a mood in all these chapters.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Plagg stared at Adrien, utterly confused. What the hell? “Wait- that’s what you got from your conversation with Ladybug?”

“There’s no other explanation! When I mentioned Marinette she started stuttering. What else could it be?” Adrien paced around the bathroom, fingers buried deep in his hair.

This whole time, he thought Ladybug was in love with a boy! She never said anything about a GIRL. He didn’t have anything against that! He was all for loving whoever. It was just… unexpected.

“Why would she never tell me she’s into girls? I would have helped her,” He stopped pacing and flopped down onto a toilet, using it like a chair.

“Maybe it has to do with the secret identities,” Plagg stressed the last two words, hoping his kid was smart enough to add 2 and 2. Really, how could one guy be this oblivious?

“Plagg this is terrible!”

“Mhmm, I can only imagine.” 

“Do you realize what this means?” 

“That you have horrible deduction skills?”

Adrien shook his head, ignoring Plagg’s remark. “I’ve been in a love square this whole time! If Ladybug is in love with Marinette, but Marinette is in love with both civilian and superhero me, and I’m in love with Ladybug…” He trailed off. 

“That sure does sound complicated!” Plagg snickered, enjoying the show. He was trying his best, really. Maybe being blonde really did affect Adrien. 

“Do you think it’s time for me to move on? If she does like girls, it would be stupid to convince her to date me. I don’t wanna be a jerk.” Adrien grimaced at the thought. He knew some guys still tried to force themselves onto Chloe and Kagami, even though they were clearly together.

“Maybe it would be better to ASK Ladybug if she likes Marinette?” Plagg questioned, for once being the voice of reason.

“She wouldn’t tell me anything! You know how she is with that stuff,” Adrien said, standing up and collecting his things. He motioned for Plagg to hide in his pocket before walking out of the bathroom and towards the cafeteria.

Alone with his thoughts, he started to dwell on the situation he was in. He still hadn’t figured out a way to turn down Marinette, and with this new development he needed to take Ladybug’s feelings into account as well. Did Marinette like girls? He never heard her mention it, and she seemed to be into only guys. Then again, people weren’t only straight or gay. Adrien figured it was possible she was bi. 

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He could’ve sworn he overheard Marinette having conversations with a female voice that were… a little personal, to say the least. He never actually saw the girl, but Marinette was always on the phone with her, and they seemed super close. 

As he neared his normal lunch table, a plan formed in his mind. If he could make Marinette fall in love with Ladybug, he wouldn’t have to turn her down! He sat down with Nino, Alya, and Marinette, knowing his plan was brilliant.

\----

“Where were you, Agreste?” Alya asked, not looking up from her phone. No doubt she was posting footage to the Ladyblog.

“Oh you know… I was hiding in the bathroom,” he quickly deflected, turning to Marinette. “Mari, I’m so sorry! I totally forgot you were in the closet-” Adrien shut his mouth, realizing how his words could be taken. “Um, the janitor’s closet! Sorry about that.”

Marinette blinked, surprised at his quick change of words. “D-don’t worry about it! Ladybug c-came to get me.” She smiled brightly and shot him a thumbs up.

“Girl you didn’t tell me that!” Alya interjected, looking offended. 

“Sorry Al, it totally slipped my mind,” Marinette said, drumming her fingers on the table.

“Hey, it happens to the best of us dudette! I can’t remember half of the classes we sit through!” Nino said.

“Speaking of Ladybug, what do you think of her?” Adrien asked.

Marinette turned red, choking on the air. “Umm she’s awesome! Great, in fact. Love what she does for the city. A real… hero?” She smiled nervously, hoping he would accept her answer.

Adrien frowned slightly. The answer was a little too generic to accurately gauge Marinette’s feelings on the superhero. “Ok, but say she asked you on a date.”

“Dude, why would Ladybug ask Marinette on a date?” Nino questioned, slinging an arm over Alya’s shoulders.

“I wish she would ask ME on a date,” Alya said, before turning to Nino. “No offense babe, you’re still my #1.”

“Works for me,” Nino answered back.

Adrien rolled his eyes before glancing at Marinette again.

“Um, she’s cool and all… I don’t know i-if I could actually say yes though.” Marinette responded.

“Why not? What’s your type?” He pressed, inching closer. Nino and Alya exchanged a glance, clearly trying to figure out what was going on.

“I d-don’t have a type! Not me, never me! I am open to uh, anyone.” Marinette quickly met Adrien’s eyes, blushing a little. Oh, she definitely had a type. “It’s just that she’s a superhero, you know? It would be… weird to have that power imbalance.”

Her answer confused Adrien further. She basically said she would be open to dating Ladybug, but wouldn’t because she’s a superhero. Then why had she confessed her love for Chat Noir?

“Well, you’re pretty awesome in your own right. Actually, you and Ladybug are pretty similar. You have the same hair, eyes, you’re probably even around the same height!” He tilted his head looking at her. Once again, he felt like he was missing something.

“What? Pftttt, no! Ladybug and I are nothing alike!” Marinette exclaimed. “I’m so clumsy haha!”

Adrien only nodded, as they moved onto another topic. So maybe all it would take was some convincing? He needed to get Marinette alone.

Once the warning bell rang for them to go to their afternoon classes, Adrien turned to Marinette.

“Hey, Mari? If you’re free this afternoon, one of my favorite shirts was ripped in the wash. I was wondering if you could come over to fix it for me?” That wasn’t totally a lie, one of his favorite shirts really was torn. Only, Plagg had been extra-spiteful one day and had been the cause of it. Adrien had been planning on buying a new one, but had put it off until now. What a perfect excuse!

“Oh! Um, us alone?” Marinette squeaked, quickly turning red yet again.

“If you’re comfortable with that. My father doesn’t like me having a lot of friends over at once.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck on reflex.

“Y-yeah, you’re fine. I mean, that’s fine! But you’re still fine, not fine-fine but ya know, fiiiiIIIIINE!” She said, rushing to correct herself. 

Adrien also blushed, aware of her massive crush. It really was obvious. “Great! Meet me at the front after school.” With that, he waved goodbye and walked to his physics class.

\---- 

Three hours later, Adrien stood outside the entrance to the school waiting for Marinette. He already called his driver, and Nathalie approved the impromptu hang out. 

After waiting for five minutes, Adrien started to get worried. Where was Marinette? He knew she had a tendency of being late, but they were coming from the same place! He walked back into the building towards the locker room to see if he could find her. 

As he entered the room, he heard Marinette’s voice, along with another feminine voice. Except, it didn’t sound like Alya. It was the voice he always heard her talking to! He was about to call out for Marinette when he caught the end of her sentence.

“Do you think he knows?” Marinette asked, “He kept asking me about Ladybug during lunch and now he wants me to come over alone!”

That was… odd. What did she think he knew? 

“I don’t know, Adrien is a smart boy. You should be extra careful around him for a little bit, though.” The other voice said, Seriously, who was that? Was she on the phone?

He heard Marinette groan. “I gave such a lame excuse too! Everybody wants to date Ladybug, I should have just shut my mouth.”

“Don’t worry about it, what’s done is done! It is really weird that he was so insistent on your answer though…” The other girl said. 

So Marinette had been lying at lunch! Why though? Why was she afraid to say she would date Ladybug?  
“I should get going, he’s probably outside waiting for me.” Adrien froze, not knowing how to make it seem like he wasn’t eavesdropping. “What would I do without you Ti-” 

Marinette walked out of the locker room, almost knocking into Adrien. 

“Oh- Mari! I’m sorry, I was trying to, uh, look for you! Are you ok?” He rushed to explain. 

“Y-yeah I’m fine! It was totally m-my fault anyway haha. Sorry to keep you waiting.” Marinette said.

“It’s all good! Let’s go though, my driver has been waiting for a while.” Adrien said, letting Marinette lead the way outside. 

\----

Once inside Adrien’s room, Marinette looked to him expectantly. “Ok, so where’s the shirt?”

Adrien handed her the shirt, staring at her as she got to work. Ironically, it was a Ladybug shirt. “So… Ladybug is pretty awesome, right?” 

Marinette whipped her head to look at him, eyes going wide. “I- uh, yeah! Why wouldn’t she be?” 

She was stuttering again! That must be it, she DID like Ladybug! Maybe she didn’t like people knowing about her crushes. After all, nobody knew she also liked Chat Noir. 

“I was just asking, you were pretty jumpy at lunch.” He leaned in to whisper to her, “It’s ok Mari, I know your secret.” 

Marinette dropped the shirt, scooting away from him. “You- you WHAT?” She squeaked, hiding behind her hands. 

He slid closer, holding his hands up. “It’s ok! You don’t have to hide it! I won’t tell anyone, I know how important it is to have some privacy.” He gave her a soft smile. 

Marinette started breathing heavily, eyes darting around the room. Was her crush that big a deal?

“You… nobody was supposed to know! This is a disaster… what if it’s used against me!” She jumped up to start pacing around the room. “How did you even find out? I was SO good with keeping it a secret! Not even Alya knows! Oh my god, you KNOW. How are you so calm about this? When did you find out?” Marinette was practically hyperventilating at this point, as she ended her rant with a finger pointed at him.  
“Uh… in order, you stutter when you talk about Ladybug, so that’s a dead giveaway. I don’t think it’s that big a deal to be honest, I think it’s cool! I found out today, so don’t worry. I promise nobody will find out.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Why did she think Adrien was the type to out somebody before they were ready? Did he give off those vibes?

When his hand touched her shoulder, Marinette turned bright red. “I’m sorry, but I really have to go. I’ll maybe text- call? I’ll come see you later, I just- UGH. I need time to process this.” She scrambled back from him, and quickly ran out the door. 

Plagg floated out from his hiding space, barely concealing his laughter. “Real smooth, kid. Real smooth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! Only one more chapter. Also, I think i made it obvious what Marinette thinks Adrien knows. Poor girl must be having a heart attack.
> 
> I'll see you all in the last chapter! :)


	4. Chat Noir: Full-Time Idiot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is back at it again with the horrible deduction skills! Marinette, on the other hand finally gets closure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha enjoy one last chapter of torture! :)
> 
> Also, I made it my goal to use one curse in this whole story. I feel like it would be only fitting to have Marinette say it! So just be aware of that lol

“How did I mess that up so badly,” Adrien groaned, hitting himself in the face with the couch cushion. “It’s just a crush!”

“That was torture to listen to. You scared Pigtails off!” Plagg said.

Adrien looked at the door where Marinette rushed out. Literally WHAT? He knew she was shy when it came to crushes, but how could he have expected that! Everybody has a crush on Ladybug, it’s nothing to be embarrassed of. 

At least Marinette actually has a shot of being with her. If she would have just let him explain, she would’ve been so happy! Except, how could he explain how he knows about Ladybug’s love life? Sure, Chat Noir was her best friend, but Adrien was only a fan! A fan who only met Ladybug a handful of times, most of which he was being chased by some akuma. 

“Plagg, what do I do?” He looked pleadingly over to his kwami. 

Plagg stopped, considering the situation for a second. On the one hand, he could put him out of his misery and end this right now. On the other, he could prolong the suffering and confusion. 

“I say you give her space. She did say she was going to visit later, didn’t she?” He smirked, knowing all too well it would NOT be Marinette visiting him.

“I guess she did… but later could just mean tomorrow at school or a week from now! You never know.” Adrien pouted, folding his arms.

“Now you’re just acting like a spoiled child.” Plagg remarked.

Adrien looked up, narrowing his eyes. “I already am a spoiled child.” He motioned around his room.

“Fine! Be that way, you’re going to regret being ungrateful for my help.” 

“I doubt tha-”

“I was not done talking!” Plagg shouted, tired of having his advice ignored. Adrien promptly shut his mouth, listening for the first time in days. “Thank you. Now as I was saying, there is a very simple way to solve this situation. Just. wait. You have spent the last few days doing something with no grip of the situation, and frankly I am TIRED of it, young man!”

“You’re sounding like Nathalie.”  
“Give Marinette a break and let her make her own move. As much as I like to see you make this a mess, Pigtails doesn’t deserve that.”

Adrien paused, considering Plagg’s point. “Maybe I had gone a… little bit overboard.” Plagg narrowed his eyes at the blonde. “A lot overboard. In my defense, I just want Mari to be happy!”

“I know that, and you know that. Now let Marinette realize that.” 

Adrien took a deep breath. “You’re right, I guess.”

At this point, it was already late at night. Adrien figured Marinette would not be coming back that night, so he took out his phone to text her.

Hey, sorry for how I acted earlier. Whenever you want to talk is fine with me.

He fell asleep before he could check if there was a response.

\----

The next day at school, Adrien walked in by himself. Nino was out sick, so he was alone for the day.

Right before he slid into his normal seat, he was surprised to see Marinette sitting in Nino’s normal seat.

He smiled at her before sitting down. “Hi, I, uh- didn’t expect to see you sitting here today!”

She blushed bright red, “Yeah, I figured we had a lot to talk about. I’m sorry I didn’t come back… it was just a lot to process.” 

“I figured. I didn’t mean to come on so strong, and I didn’t mean to corner you about it either. I get that it could be hard to talk about it.” Adrien nodded in understanding, noting the lack of a stutter.

“Yeah! Actually, it’s kind of a relief that I have somebody I can talk to about it now. You don’t know how stressful it is to keep it a secret.” Marinette sighed, a small smile on her face.

“I’m glad! You can talk to me about anything.”

“That’s sweet of you Adrien. We do have to discuss the issues with you knowing, though.” 

Adrien frowned. What issues? Did he do something wrong?

“I’m not following.”

“It could be dangerous now that you know. If something happens to you I would never forgive myself. Nobody else knows about this, and if you ever were akumatized it could put all our friends in danger.”

Ok, Adrien was back to being confused. How did knowing her crush put anyone in danger? He went over the facts in his head again, trying to see the whole picture. Marinette and Ladybug liked each other… Marinette said it was dangerous for him to know.

Adrien felt like a complete idiot, no wonder Plagg told him to hold off! He was missing a whole other side to the story. 

Marinette and Ladybug were already dating!

“Oh, I get it now. Don’t worry, this will stay between you, me, and Ladybug.” He winked at her, trying to show her he truly understood. 

Marinette tilted her head a little bit. “Um, right. Of course Ladybug knows.” She smiled a little, almost like she was making a joke.

Adrien smiled back, finally feeling the weight of the situation lifted off his shoulders. Everything was ok! Sure, he may not have a chance with Ladybug anymore, but he knew that Marinette would make Ladybug happy. He was happy for her!

He sighed and started to take notes, able to concentrate for the first time in days.

\----

Later that night, Adrien met up with Ladybug for their nightly patrol. 

“Hey, LB, how’ve you been?” He asked, leaning down to kiss her hand.

She bit her lip, looking a little bit ashamed. “Hey Chat. Actually, I’ve been better. There’s something really important I have to tell you, and I want you to know I’m really sorry.”

Adrien perked up, “You can tell me anything, I could never be mad at you.”

Ladybug sighed, fiddling with her hands. “Somebody in my- in my civilian life figured out my identity.” 

A heavy silence fell between them, both unsure what to say. There was an unspoken agreement between them that they would share their identities after Hawkmoth was defeated. Only to each other.

“Oh… that’s- do you trust them?” Adrien felt a pang of hurt hit his heart. He thought he would be the first to know, but it was more important that Ladybug felt safe.

Her eyes met his, and he could’ve sworn she was blushing. “It was my crush… but don’t worry, I have everything under control!” 

She continued to ramble on, but Adrien zoned out. Of course Marinette would find out Ladybug’s identity! Who would date a superhero without knowing who they really were? Adrien couldn’t be mad, not really. 

“Hey- it’s ok Ladybug. Besides, I kinda know who you’re talking about.” He said.

“You do?”

“Yeah! I don’t want to seem like I was trying to get involved in your love life, but I know for a fact that she trusts you and is taking this seriously.” He gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Ladybug, for her part, only looked confused. “She?”

“Yeah! Listen, I can’t pretend I know what it’s like to be gay or lesbian, but you don’t have to be embarrassed of who you are. If anyone can’t accept you for you then they’re just a prick.” 

“Chat, what are-”

“If you’re happy with Marinette, I’m happy for you! There’s no bad blood between us, I promise.” Adrien continued.

“Who said I’m dating-”

“I’ll happily beat up anyone who gives you a problem. Just tell me and I’m on it!” 

“Hold on, I didn’t-” Ladybug was staring at him, confused.

“Please don’t be mad I meddled in your love life, I was just trying-”

“STOP!” Ladybug shouted. “First of all, I am not a lesbian. I don’t know where you got that idea from, I’m bi. Second of all, I thought I told you I was in love with a BOY? You know, somebody who is not a girl. And lastly… I am not dating Marinette!”

Adrien stared at her wide-eyed. “But… you always stutter when you talk about her. And Marinette basically told me that you were!”

She narrowed her eyes at him, looking him up and down. “I highly doubt that.”

“How are you so sure?” He challenged.

“Because I’m-” She groaned out of frustration. “I can’t tell you! I just know she didn’t for a fact. When did she allegedly tell you we were dating?” 

“I don’t want to reveal too much, LB.” 

“No, if a civilian is going around claiming we are dating, I need to know. Now what did she tell you?”

Adrien reached up to rub the back of his neck. “So I was talking to her one day, and uh I told her I knew she had a crush on you. Well, to be fair, I didn’t word it like that, and now that I think about it… she didn’t tell me you guys were.” He grimaced, seeing the error of his ways. If they weren’t dating, what secret did Marinette have.

At this point, Ladybug was rubbing her arm nervously. “Anything else happen?” 

“Uh yeah, we were talking at the school we go to…” He really felt that she was asking for too much information. “She said that the secret could put me in danger! So what else was I supposed to think?”

Ladybug’s eyes snapped up to meet his, a new understanding held in them. “Oh my god- Chat Noir you are a fucking idiot.” With that, she yanked his bell down to smash his lips onto hers, closing her eyes.

Adrien gasped, unsure what brought this on. He wasn’t complaining, far from it, but WHAT? He pulled back, placing Ladybug at an arm’s distance.

“Woah woah, not that I don’t appreciate that. I liked that, a lot. But can I ask why? And why now?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “Tikki, spots off.” As the pink flash faded, Adrien was shocked to see Marinette standing in her place. “I can’t date myself, Adrien.” 

Adrien’s jaw dropped, feeling like he entered another dimension. Without saying a word, his transformation dropped as well, Plagg flying up to his face snickering.

“You owe me so much cheese.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With that, the story is complete! I had so much fun writing this, I'm gonna miss it tbh :(. It's my first fanfic I finished. 
> 
> And I am officially out of ideas so woooo! 
> 
> If you have any ideas or prompts you'd like me to write, pleaaaase comment them. I don't get inspiration often, and I'll probably be more than happy to write one-shots or multichapter fics. 
> 
> Have a good day, I'll see you guys soon :)


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